Light 1
5:49:16 PM Nation: You are a teacher at one of the magical academies of Licia. You're the dude who is a mile mannered teacher who was secretly a badass! 5:49:22 PM Nation: You are the Substitute. 5:52:32 PM Nation: ((Starring Tom Berenger.)) 5:53:16 PM Nation: St. Bathory's School For Magical Studies. Not the best academy, not the worst. 5:55:02 PM Light: Light and a lot of his coworkers were badasses. It's not that unusual. 5:57:11 PM Nation: TRue, but most of the folks that went into teaching either started training new soldiers or were experts in surveillance or healing magic. 5:59:01 PM Light: Light mostly fought. But he doesn't tell them that, and few if any remember. 6:01:06 PM Nation: You are Light! Mild mannered teacher! 6:01:25 PM Light: Light is not that mild-mannered. He's kind of cranky. 6:03:18 PM Nation: And he teaches... Magical Theory? 6:03:51 PM Light: Light does. 6:04:29 PM Nation: What age? 6:05:16 PM Light: Light is around 40ish. 6:06:33 PM Light: Light still carries a fair amount of muscle, has dark brown hair flecked with grey and tends to have a 5 o'clock shadow regardless of when he's last shaved. 6:06:36 PM Nation: I mean, students. Academies tend to train students of all ages. 6:07:08 PM Light: Light trains higher-level students, likely just before they graduate and go do things in the world. 6:08:01 PM Nation: http://www.empireonline.com/images/image_index/original/44619.jpg 6:09:34 PM Light: ((Hee!)) 6:10:12 PM Light: Light has glasses, but he's a little shorter and denser than Dr. Jones. He looks like a greying former boxer or something of that ilk. 6:10:26 PM Nation: Also, FYI, it is very very common for mages to take on new names when they start practicing magic. There's an old superstition with a lot of truth to it that magic users are very vulnerable to naming magic. 6:11:42 PM Light: Light was obviously not *given* his name. 6:17:19 PM Nation: Yep! Just letting you know. Combat mages tend to pick short, easy to bark names. Generally children, when they start training, choose a name and then, when they're done at the academy, choose a final 'professional' name. 6:18:56 PM Light: ((Argh. I think I actually need to lie down for a little bit. 6:19:07 PM Nation: So, you're in your office one night, grading papers or preparing a lecture. Teacher stuff. Light was looking over some papers, he believes! 10:33:29 PM Nation: Yep. Doing teacher stuff. Preparing a lecture or reading papers or what have you. 10:34:26 PM Light: Light reads papers, with a red pen at hand. 10:40:01 PM Light: Light adds helpful comments in the margins, as these are only first drafts, and aren't intended to be perfect. 10:41:10 PM Nation: The door to your small office opens! An old war buddy of yours, an elf named Rust, comes in without invitation, sits down in a chair in front of you, and puts his boots up on the edge of your desk. "Guess what." 10:42:18 PM Nation: Rust is older than you, but looks about twenty years younger. He has brown-orange hair kept in a tidy ponytail and grey eyes. 10:42:40 PM Light: ... why *yes* I *am* busy, but please, do come in anyway, these papers can wait. Would it really kill you to knock like a civilized person? 10:42:53 PM Light: Light eyes his friend over the top of the papers. 10:45:11 PM Nation: Rust: Yes, yes it would. It would kill me dead. 10:46:08 PM Light: Light puts the papers down and takes his glasses off to clean them while he's at it. 10:46:11 PM Light: What? 10:47:50 PM Nation: Rust pulls out a dagger and starts cleaning his nails. His nails are, of course, always clean, but Rust is one of those people who always needs his hands to be doing something. Daggers were his weapons in the war, he always seemed to have an infinite number of them, and was especially good at imbueing them with magical energy and controlling them telekinetically. "You hear about Feather? They locked her up." 10:48:19 PM Nation: Feather was another battle mage from your old unit, another elf, but with a bit more human blood in her than Rust. 10:48:41 PM Light: What? Why? 10:49:20 PM Nation: Rust: They say she went mutant-mental. Started seeing things and making herself a danger to those around her. 10:50:19 PM Light: We all took that risk. Where are they keeping her? 10:51:47 PM Nation: Rust: St. Felrik's. Where most of the war mutants get stashed. Her daughter says she hasn't been allowed to see her. 10:53:06 PM | Edited 10:53:31 PM Nation: He flips his dagger up in the air with a flick of his wrist and catches it easily. "You, me, and Journey, we're the only ones left on the outside. Well, those that aren't dead, anyway." 10:54:41 PM Nation: Journey was a human mage, and the medic. He works in a small hospital on the other side of the city. 10:55:26 PM Light: Are you here to tell me we're all going to end up in there? 10:57:56 PM Nation: Rust: Something about this doesn't smell right, that's all. Feather's daughter said that she hadn't noticed any strange behavior at all. 10:59:52 PM Light: They can turn awfully fast, as you well know. 11:00:07 PM Light: I'm assuming you've tried to get in to see her yourself. 11:00:40 PM Nation: Rust: Of course. Well. Not really *tried*. But I went and asked to see her and they said she was sedated. 11:02:46 PM Light: Care to try it again? 11:06:01 PM Light: Light bunches up the papers and sets them down, cleaning his pen methodically and putting that into the drawer. 11:07:11 PM Nation: Rust: I don't think they'll let us see her. But if you want to get rejected in person, don't let me stop you. 11:09:31 PM Light: I don't think they will either, but if you didn't want me to try, why are you here? 11:10:45 PM Nation: Rust: Maybe I just wanted to let you know. Like I said, something about this doesn't feel right. 11:12:17 PM Light: You think they have some sort of ulterior motives for locking up war veterans, is that it? 11:13:28 PM Nation: Rust: I don't know. Just like I know we saw a lot of horrible, bizarre things and any one of them could be the key to something. 11:14:55 PM Light: I'm sure they've thought of that. 11:16:56 PM Light: I don't know what she was exposed to that we weren't, either. 11:17:04 PM Nation: Rust shrugs! 11:17:48 PM Nation: He stands. "Just watch yourself. Something's in the air." 11:18:32 PM Light: You too, Rust. There's few enough of us left. 11:20:03 PM Light: Light stands up and offers his hand to his friend to shake. 11:20:43 PM Nation: He takes it, then leaves your office! 11:21:34 PM Light: Light stands there frowning for a few minutes, and then grabs his hat and cloak, heading to St. Felrik's. 11:22:53 PM Nation: ((Brb.)) 11:32:59 PM Nation: Okay! So you leave the campus. It's still early afternoon at this point, and you're only intercepted by two students on the way out! Asking questions about their reading, etc. 11:35:08 PM Light: Light answers their questions. It is what he gets paid for, after all. He probably seems a little absent-minded at this point, though--he's thinking about the last time he saw Feather. 11:41:36 PM Nation: Depends on how much of an effort he tries to keep in contact! Rust is kind of persistent and shows up on your doorstep whether you want him to or not -- he once showed up at your house, and you never gave him your address. 11:44:13 PM Light: Light probably didn't make much effort. A lot of people wanted to forget the war, and he was pretty damn ambivalent about it himself. 11:46:16 PM Nation: Then it's probably been six months to a year since you saw her last, then. She seemed pretty together then. 11:47:35 PM Light: Light heads for the hospital. 11:49:34 PM Nation: It's a quick tram ride over there. St. Felrik is pretty much a hospital for veterans and their families. You yourself have to come here every few months so they can check to make sure you aren't going unstable mutant on them. 11:50:43 PM Light: Light hasn't. He's rather dull, or at least, he tries to convince them of that as best he can. 11:52:05 PM Nation: Well, they determine mutanthood via magic. 11:52:42 PM Nation: So, you get to St. Felrik! There's a pleasant looking young woman at the front desk! 11:56:29 PM Light: Hey. I have a friend who's staying here. 11:56:57 PM Nation: She looks down at the papers in front of her! "What's your friend named?" 11:58:48 PM Light: Feather. 12:00:27 AM Nation: She goes through a book of names and it isn't long before she replies. "Oh. I'm afraid she's currenly being sedated for her own safety, so I can't let you see her." 12:01:17 AM Light: I'd like to see her anyway. I won't try to wake her up. Please--we were... we were friends, a long time ago. 12:01:32 AM Light: Light *completely* tries to make it sound like they were together. Even though they weren't. 12:02:24 AM Nation: She closes the book and puts it down on the desk in front of her. "I'm very sorry, but no exceptions, not until I get the say-so." 12:02:31 AM Light: From who? 12:03:32 AM Nation: Woman: From the doctors, of course. 12:03:56 AM Light: Light nods. 12:03:59 AM Light: I'd like to speak with them. 12:07:19 AM Nation: Woman: ... can I get your name, sir? 12:07:45 AM Light: Light. 12:09:22 AM Nation: Woman: And how did you know the patient? 12:10:13 AM Light: We fought in the same unit. 12:10:32 AM Nation: She nods. "All right. Wait here, I'll see if I can find someone to help you." 12:10:39 AM Light: Light nods. 12:10:51 AM Nation: She leaves you in the small waiting room! 12:11:20 AM Light: Light waits, quietly. 12:12:47 AM Nation: Eventually she returns with an elven man in white robes. "This is Dr. Mercius. He's been seeing to your friend." 12:13:11 AM Nation: She scampers off! Dr. Mercius, a humorless short man with a shaved head, looks you up and donw. 12:13:41 AM Light: How is she? 12:14:14 AM Nation: Dr. Mercius: Resting now. We have an Oneiromancer monitoring her dreams. 12:15:17 AM Light: Light nods. 12:15:27 AM Light: I'd like to see her. Even if she's unconscious. 12:17:13 AM Nation: Dr. Mercius: That's not possible right now. Anyone in the room that she could sense or detect with her physical or metaphysical senses could disrupt or skew our observations. 12:18:12 AM Light: Light nods. 12:18:13 AM Light: I can wait. 12:19:10 AM Nation: Dr. Mercius: ... come back tomorrow, and we'll see how she is then, all right? Just ask for me personally. 12:19:46 AM Light: Light nods. 12:19:52 AM Light: All right. Thank you. It means a lot to me. 12:20:19 AM Nation: He nods! "If that's all, I have otherp atients to see to." 12:22:38 AM Light: Yes. 12:22:44 AM Light: Light nods to him and heads out, to go home. 12:23:30 AM Nation: Okay! What kind of house does he have? 12:24:11 AM Light: Light probably has a small house, and hires people to do whatever maintenance he can't. 12:24:41 AM Nation: There are lots of houses and apartments available. 12:26:28 AM Light: Light has a small house, with probably two bedrooms, in a place that's well within walking distance of anywhere he needs to get, and may not be in the best neighborhood, though isn't in the worst either. 12:30:55 AM Nation: Okay! You get home and there's a package that's sitting on your front stoop. 12:32:18 AM Light: Light picks it up and inspects it! 12:34:20 AM Nation: It seems to be a book wrapped in parcel paper, delivered here with the rest of your post. You're not sure who sent it. But it might be your father's Grail Diary. 12:34:56 AM Light: Light 's dad isn't Sean Connery! He grabs the package and opens it in his kitchen. 12:38:43 AM Nation: It's a small book, bound in leather! It does look like a journal or diary. It seems to be filled with arcane formulae scripted in a language you dont' recognize offhand. Just full of the stuff. 12:39:12 AM Light: Light frowns and examines it. 12:41:54 AM Light: Light tries to recall if he's seen a script like that anywhere else before, and references it back to some of the more obscure magical theory out there. 12:42:13 AM Nation: Roll a d20! 12:43:19 AM Light: ((18.)) 12:48:03 AM Nation: After wracking your brain for a bit, you recall where you've seen it and why you can't read it -- it's the arcane script of a human civilization from the west, the Incori. Nothing has really been heard of them since before the war, and their magic is very fundamentally different than the stuff that is typically practiced in Licia. 12:49:35 AM Light: Mm. 12:49:38 AM Light: Interesting. 12:49:47 AM Light: Light looks at the packaging and tries to work out where it came from. 12:51:22 AM Nation: You're not 100% -- it could just be that she's on your mind, but the script the address is written in does match what you remember of Feather's loose-but-tidy-but-overly-small script. 12:52:51 AM Light: Hmm. 12:52:55 AM Light: Light starts studying it. 12:53:48 AM Nation: You do have a couple of books with Incori script, you might be able to translate some of it. 12:54:25 AM Light: Light grabs one of his books, makes some tea and gets to work. 1:00:58 AM Nation: One of the two books you have is the result of an earlier cultural type exchange, and is a book that descibes a lot of the Incori's swordfighting techniques, and has sections in your language and theirs. The other book is the same way, and describes the Incori religion, their gods,a nd some of their rituals. Before the war, there was a signifigant effort on the part of Incori and your civilization to bridge the gap between cultures. 1:02:48 AM Light: Hmm. 1:03:56 AM Light: Light starts working on decoding stuff! 1:05:41 AM Nation: It's pretty interesting, really. The Incori believe that the human civilization you come from are a sect of their people who split off, crossed an ocean, and started shacking up with elves back in prehistory. You guys believe that the Incori is an offshoot of your own civilization that crossed an ocean and never shacked up with elves. 1:06:29 AM Nation: A lot of the basics of Combat Magic is based on the basics of Incori sword-magic. 1:08:36 AM Light: Light probably has studied them quite a bit, then. 1:10:27 AM Nation: Well, they split off when the two cultures split off, largely. But a lot of the basic stances that allow martial ability and spellcasting simultaneously, along with the frame of mine necessary, is based on Incori Swordmagic. 1:11:30 AM Light: Light has probably pondered going there. 1:12:08 AM Nation: Of course, there's been no contact since the start of the war. 1:13:14 AM Light: Light has been curious about this! 1:13:22 AM Light: Light keeps picking away at the journal, though. 1:15:24 AM Nation: You can translate a few words here and there, but before you realize it, it's pretty late. 1:16:18 AM Light: Light mutters, and lights a candle, bringing the journal to bed and picking at it a bit more before getting some sleep. 1:18:59 AM Nation: Most of the easy words you picked our were fairly innocuous. The equivalents of 'and' 'on' 'under'... that sort of thing. 1:22:57 AM Light: Light sleeps! And will go to work as usual in the morning. 1:26:33 AM Nation: Your morning is uneventful! 1:27:05 AM Light: Light heads for work with the books, too. 1:28:53 AM Nation: Journal too? 1:29:30 AM Light: ((Yep!)) 10:57:07 PM Nation: All right, then. Next day! 10:58:26 PM Light: Light wakes up and gets dressed and such and heads to work, with the book! 11:01:16 PM Nation: All right, you get to the academy. Anything special you wanted to do? 11:02:14 PM Light: Light will teach! Probably nothing else special, though. And he picks at the book some more in between classes. 11:06:59 PM Nation: You probably could use the Academy's library to help you with the translation of the formulae in the journal. 11:09:46 PM Light: Light does that, though he feels a little guilty for not finishing his papers. 11:11:45 PM Nation: Roll a d20! 11:12:05 PM Light: ((9!)) 11:15:04 PM Nation: You head into your office with some books, and find that it's been tossed! 11:18:21 PM Light: Light frowns. 11:19:01 PM Nation: All the desk drawers and cabinets have been ransacked! 11:20:18 PM Light: Light looks around and tries to sort out what's missing. 11:26:41 PM Light: ((there. Had to put up a thing on our website. Done with it now, though.)) 11:34:56 PM Nation: ((Now I only have two mugs. :( )) 11:35:11 PM Light: ((ACK. What happened?)) 11:35:40 PM Nation: ((I dropped it and it shattered.)) 11:36:47 PM Light: ((Awww. *snuggle*)) 11:37:40 PM Nation: ((Just had to make sure I got all the shards.)) 11:39:50 PM Light: ((Yeah, you have enough problems without a bleeding foot.)) 11:40:57 PM Nation: ((And I didn't want Wennie to get hurt on them. Mostly that, really.)) 11:41:04 PM Light: ((That tooooo.)) 11:49:07 PM Nation: ((And I didn't notice I was bleeding! Woot!)) 11:49:25 PM Light: ((Oh geez, you *are* bleeding. Sorry. I didn't *want* to be right about that.)) 11:55:49 PM Nation: ((I'm okay, it wasn't that bad. I just didn't notice it)) 12:00:25 AM Nation: ((Somehow I got msyelf on the calf, and didn't notice until I looked at the freshly cleaned area and noticed drops of blood.)) 12:02:19 AM Light: ((As long as you're okay!)) 12:05:57 AM Nation: ((Yep. It was only a small cut and I cleaned it.)) 12:06:11 AM Nation: ((I guess I caught a ricochet?)) 12:06:42 AM Light: ((Probably!)) 12:08:11 AM Nation: Okay! So, yeah, Light's office has been sacked. 12:10:04 AM Light: Light was trying to work out what was missing. 12:10:33 AM Nation: Does he keep anything valuable in his office? 12:10:56 AM Light: Light doesn't have anything obviously valuable. There might have been a rare book or two in there somewhere. 12:12:47 AM Nation: Nope, you can't find anything missing. 12:15:05 AM Light: Light starts cleaning up his office, and reports the breakin to the local law enforcement. He also inspects the lock. 12:15:59 AM Nation: No damage -- it was either picked carefully or magicked or someone had a key. 12:17:31 AM Light: Light mutters, and just goes about his business as usual! 12:18:59 AM Nation: Okay! You still have the journal, and teh books you got from the library. 12:23:09 AM Light: Light spends his day at work working and then heads out to visit Feather. 12:24:50 AM Nation: You work out a few more words in the journal -- the word 'sword' is repeated quite a lot. As is the word 'tower' and 'cut the . 12:25:01 AM Light: Light grumbles. 12:26:02 AM Nation: ((Cheese.)) 12:26:17 AM Light: ((hee!)) 12:26:26 AM Light: Light heads to the hosp to visit his friend. 12:27:25 AM Nation: Okay! You ask for the doctor from yesterday? 12:30:04 AM Light: Light does ask for Dr. Mercius. 12:36:48 AM Nation: ((It stopped leaking blood! Yaaaaaaay.)) The receptionist goes to find him, leaving you in the small waiting area. A minor auditory illusion plays pleasant, unobtrustive music in the background. 12:37:03 AM Light: ((Yay!!)) 12:37:24 AM Light: Light tries to look harmless, again. And he's without his gigantic sword, so that's easier than it normally is. 12:41:12 AM Nation: Yep! Twenty minutes go by. 12:41:35 AM Nation: Then half an hour. 12:42:00 AM Light: Light waits patiently. 12:43:11 AM Nation: Forty five minutes! 12:44:16 AM Light: Light politely peers out of the waiting room. 12:44:54 AM Nation: YOu see the receptionist speaking to another doctor, gesturing toward the waiting room as if making a point. 12:45:44 AM Light: ... excuse me? 12:48:39 AM Nation: The receptionist looks at you! "Yes, sir?" 12:48:59 AM Light: I'm just making sure you haven't forgotten I'm here. I'm waiting for Dr. Mercius. 12:49:29 AM Nation: The Receptionist walks over to you. "Dr. Mercius does... not seem to be in." 12:50:13 AM Light: Oh. I don't suppose I can see Feather. 12:51:07 AM Nation: Receptionist: Not without permission from her doctor who has apparently left the campus without telling anyone. 12:51:40 AM Nation: The receptionist's blandly pleasant face is marred by a concerned, furrowed brow. 12:52:25 AM Light: ... where's his office? 12:53:29 AM Nation: Receptionist: On the second floor, but apparently he's not there... 12:53:40 AM Light: Did you look inside? 12:53:51 AM Light: Or was it locked, and he didn't answer? 12:54:44 AM Nation: Receptionist: I didn't, one of the attendants checked on him and he was gone. 12:55:27 AM Light: Neither, then. Well, show me to his office. 12:55:39 AM Nation: She nods, and leads you to his office! 12:55:54 AM Light: Light tries the door. If it's locked, he'll try magic on it. 12:56:51 AM Nation: It's not locked! There's a plate of cold food on his desk. 12:57:02 AM Light: ... well. He left his lunch behind. Interesting. 12:57:07 AM Light: Light closes the door. 12:57:53 AM Light: The doctor may have met with some sort of misadventure. Perhaps you should call law enforcement. 12:59:22 AM Nation: The receptionist's eyes widen! "Do you think he's okay?" 12:59:47 AM Light: I don't know. 12:59:53 AM Light: Light rubs his forehead. 1:00:14 AM Light: Who's next in line, might I talk to him or her, please? I would very much like to see my friend. 1:00:32 AM Nation: She nods, and hurries off. 1:01:30 AM Light: Light waits. 1:04:36 AM Nation: You going to poke around in the Doctor's office? 1:05:10 AM Light: Light does, but not too much. Just to see if there's anything obviously relevant. 1:09:12 AM Nation: Well, he was apparently writing up some notes at his desk while he was eating, probably on some of his patients. The top page idsn't about Feather, though. 1:10:05 AM Light: Light makes sure it's not about *him.* 1:10:40 AM Nation: Nope, just another patient in the hospital who was wounded pretty badly in the war. 1:13:21 AM Light: Light ruffles through the other pages to check. 1:17:49 AM Nation: Nothing on Light! But she does find pages about Feather. She is apparently a danger to herself and others do to delusions and hallucinations, but the doctor notes that the onset of these symptoms doesn't really match up with other forms of sudden onset mutancy. 1:19:07 AM Light: Light frowns. 1:19:55 AM Nation: He then speculates on other causes. 1:20:07 AM Light: Light reads that bit for *sure*. 1:21:30 AM Nation: Well, just other diseases and other, non-magical based mental illnesses, but nothing he speculates on seems to match up. 1:22:23 AM Light: Light leaves the stuff alone and tries to look like he hasn't been monkeying around with stuff he's not supposed to see! 1:26:42 AM Nation: Okay! Before long, the receptionist returns with another doctor in tow. 1:27:13 AM Light: Hello. 1:30:04 AM Light: I was waiting for Dr. Mercius; I'm hoping to see my friend Feather. 1:35:13 AM Nation: The doctor nods. "Yes, apparently the doctor left early. Your friend is still sedated, so I can't allow you contact, but I'll take you to her room so that you can see that she's comfortable, if you'd like." 1:36:05 AM Light: Yes, please. Thank you. 1:36:57 AM Nation: He leads you up another flight of stairs to her room, where you can look through the small window on her door and see her sleeping in bed. 1:38:19 AM Light: Light watches her for a little bit. Does he have any form of detect magic, or would that be possible to sense through the door? 1:39:45 AM Nation: You wouldn't be able to sense through the door, as the rooms here are warded. 1:40:30 AM Light: Is she asleep all the time? 1:41:32 AM Nation: Doctor: Yes. We're using sustainign spells on her so she doesn't need to eat. We'll awaken her when the Oneiromancers have a decent chart of her dreams. 1:42:34 AM Light: When will that be? 1:43:46 AM Nation: Doctor: I don't know. I'll haev to review Dr. Mercius' charts and notes. Hopefully by tomorrow. 1:44:37 AM Light: I'd like to be there when you do. It could help to have someone she knows there. 1:44:51 AM Light: I assume her daughter will be there as well, of course. 1:47:36 AM Nation: He nods. "Yes. She was here earlier this evening, but had to leave." 1:48:17 AM Light: Light nods. 1:48:27 AM Light: All right. What time should I be here? 1:49:12 AM Light: Light takes out his pocketwatch, a heavy silver affair that was his grandfather's--he operated a tram and they all had watches like this. Very precise. 1:50:18 AM Nation: Doctor: I don't know.... this time tomorrow? 1:51:13 AM Light: Light nods. 1:51:18 AM Light: Thank you. What's your name again? 1:54:36 AM Nation: Doctor: I'm Doctor Cleidus. 1:56:09 AM Light: ((CLETUS.)) 1:56:12 AM Light: Light. 1:56:18 AM Light: Light shakes his hand and then departs! 1:56:32 AM Light: Light goes home.